🐠 Archers thread #135: An Everyday Story of Fishy Folk. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you would be delighted to be given a goldfish named after your ex, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Apologies for ignoring the various title suggestions on the last thread. However, here they are, plus a couple of other pithy observations, to kickstart the new thread. I think it's fair to say nobody is looking on this as a Golden Era! Goldfish Era, though ...

@Roysnewshirt: Everyone wants more! Chris wants more Amy; Jazzer wants more Tracey; Alice wants more time with Martha and Amy wants more space… Very true. And now we know Kirsty wants more farming expertise in the rewilding project, but not Pip (thank the lord) so does that mean approaching Adam? Currently under-employed.

@LillianGish: I tune in to hear birdsong and bleating in the English countryside not hammy acting and suggestive grunting.

@stilldumdedumming: Archers is good at the dynamics of family, farming, what it means to have your job, your home and your inheritance so closely aligned etc etc not this nonsense!

@DoctorTwo: Like fuck would Pheobe buy her parents a goldfish each. The Ambridge character transplant fairy has been working overtime this past few weeks, it's been absolutely fucking appalling bar a couple of exceptions.

Can't disagree with any of that. I want to hear more about the pigs and any other effects of Brexit. A topical insert about the war in Ukraine must surely be on the way.

Any happy listeners out there? Any disgruntled listeners with even more grumbles? Over to you!

I was being careless @TottersBlankly! I am actually ashamed. At least I didn’t type Linda. That really would have been unforgivable! I must admit Gill didn’t look quite right even at the time…

I agree, they shouldn’t touch Bitcoin!

Er it might be that Ruairi is the pimp. Alternatively it might be that she’s his much older girlfriend and he’s moved into hers so is saving all his rent money. Removing outgoings would give him a lot of disposable income too. Or after all this windup it might be that he’s just chosen to get a job in Argos.

Was he in halls or a private flat can anyone remember?

@purplesequins

physioterrorists

That's what they call them at the hospital where my husband works too.

@MereDintofPandiculation
You didn’t need A - levels, just 5 O-levels.

You also needed 5 O-levels to matriculate

@purplesequins, or physiothoroughlypisseds

Saw them on sweatshirts the trainee physios wore back in the 1980s.

Was the suggestion of a book token a flag that David is unimaginative and that Ruth and Stella are to have an affair?

Had it been Pip suggesting the solar panels it would have been a done deal

It may have been mentioned a few times before on these threads , but aren't they slow in Ambridge! Why would Adil be poking his nose into every detail of how GG works unless he's looking to invest in the place, or buy it outright? How could he and Oliver be friends when Oliver never leaves Ambridge and Adil has never been there before? Also, not obvious from the voices, but having just looked the actor up, Oliver is old enough to be Adil's father.

It would be very nice to have a young Ambridge person do reasonably well at school, proceed to university and do reasonably well there. But no, educational progress is dull, presumably, so there has to be something else.

You also needed 5 O-levels to matriculate .... and 2 A-levels.

Otherwise, what were we all slugging our guts out at grammar school for?

As I've just remarked on the spoiler thread, what an odd episode! That's really all I can think to say. Bringing in Robert Glenister to pay such a tiny little role as that is very strange.

I know Ben has quite a following but I’m afraid I think he is very wet. Especially after today.

@Roysnewshirt

I know Ben has quite a following but I’m afraid I think he is very wet. Especially after today.

Very dreary.

Aw I felt for Ben. I know plenty of people for whom that would have been a hellish day. He's a relatively new driver, whose parents have recently been injured in an accident. I'm not surprised it wasn't for him. So glad Leonard got a go. I would have thought lobbing that flapjack and getting arrested would have given Jill'a adrenaline even more of boost than driving fast tbh but there you go.

I suspect Adil is a management consultant who will be assessing who he can get rid of, perhaps more hotel inspector style with sector specific recommendations - like the hotel inspector. The day time show, not the episode of Fawlty Towers.

Will the Ambridge Finance Fairy will enable Ian, Roy & others to form some sort of consortium to take over GG?

@suzyscat

I suspect Adil is a management consultant who will be assessing who he can get rid of, perhaps more hotel inspector style with sector specific recommendations - like the hotel inspector. The day time show, not the episode of Fawlty Towers.

I think it was management consultants or similar (my friend Jonty Twimpleton-Wimpleton type) who conceived the misbegotten B@Ambridge aka the Bat.

Adil… I presume he works for a chain or perhaps runs his family’s chain of hotels and is thinking of buying - or perhaps buying a share. Alternative it could be for a guide - like sawdays.

Adil is going to make Tracy manager with a big pay rise, maybe with live-in perks to solve another issue or two.

Yes @BeardieWeirdie I had the same thought. Wonder if that will mean Kathy will speak in her fury or just skulk off never to be heard from again?

@TottersBlankly

models and lovers of older artists

Okay, that connection hadn’t penetrated my slow brain properly before.

BOOP the scriptwriters for cool intentionality in writing!

Brilliant observation! I also love this Oddly enough, sex services would work in the Ambridge world where no one ever googles another human being … hmm Though I’m leaning towards the Bitcoin Ponzi scheme - mainly because it was hinted at last night and also because I’ve been listening to The Missing Cryptoqueen which is fascinating if you have the time and want to understand how these things work.

I thought the fact that Ben suspected it was Crypto meant that it wasn't that.

One of the SW's must surely live in Bath (or follow Bath City Farm on social media).

The farm recently acquired two of those curly haired pigs and, further back on their Twitter feed, they have somebody in an Easter bunny costume and promoting egg-rolling this Easter!
twitter.com/MikeyC74/status/1513112038582755335

Is everyone else too stunned by the tedium of tonight's episode?

I don't believe for one minute that Vince needs the help of the clueless Dopeys to choose a birthday present for Elizabeth.

Wasn't chez Vince extremely tasteful and we know he has some knowledge about art. He must have decades of experience of choosing expensive presents for wives, ex- wives and daughters.

If he was truly stuck why not ask Lily or Russ? Yet apparently he asks the Dopeys twice.

And as for the Easter Bunny- give me strength.

Is everyone else too stunned by the tedium of tonight's episode?

Yes.

Just coming on to say, looking like Ben n Beth could be a permanent thing - which presumably means her dad and his aunty won't be, thank goodness?

Oh, I suspect the increasing enmeshing of the two couples is exactly the type of thing that keeps a SW happy. It would present all sorts of entertaining conflicts for years to come.

Though I do think Elizabeth’s affrontedness on Vince’s behalf yesterday sounded just a touch … invented.